Stiffening Crazy Horse leather for a sunglass case?

[AWORKOFMARC]

Making a sunglass case for a friend....Anyone have some experience in stiffening Crazy Horse leather? Can it even be done? Cold water soak?  Resin coating?

Edited January 31, 2024 by AWORKOFMARC

[DieselTech]

I'm wondering if something like super sheen or resolene would stiffen it up. I've heard of people also putting melted wax of some sort to stiffen the leather also. 

[AWORKOFMARC]

37 minutes ago, DieselTech said:

I'm wondering if something like super sheen or resolene would stiffen it up. I've heard of people also putting melted wax of some sort to stiffen the leather also. 

I heard that wax is a method but not to do it bc it has a nasty habit of leeching out and permanently staining whatever it was on -- like car seats, furniture clothing etc.

[AWORKOFMARC]

I suppose I could always sandwich some sort of stiffener used in garment making in between a liner layer and the crazy horrse.. but that's  way more invloved.

[Handstitched]

Some cases that I have done , I soak the vt  leather,  mold , shape etc. and then put them out in the sun , or near our wood heater if its cold outside. They come out quite stiff  Then cut , shape,  dye, seal etc. 

Just a thought.

HS

[NatesLeatherGds]

8 hours ago, AWORKOFMARC said:

Making a sunglass case for a friend....Anyone have some experience in stiffening Crazy Horse leather? Can it even be done? Cold water soak?  Resin coating?

Boiling water? How much do you have to spare and experiment with ?

[SUP]

Soaking should work. Routinely done when molding leather, is it not? But will not  boiling water shrivel or shrink it like it does all veg-tanned leathers? 

Edited January 31, 2024 by SUP

[AWORKOFMARC]

I'll try the soaking method... thanks for the feedback.

I'll report back the results after some investigation on how I soak it in cold water properly.

[NatesLeatherGds]

56 minutes ago, SUP said:

Soaking should work. Routinely done when molding leather, is it not? But will not  boiling water shrivel or shrink it like it does all veg-tanned leathers? 

Might. YMMV. I've stiffened chrome leather with boiling or just off the boil water. Anyhow -- no promises, that's for sure. 

[SUP]

Crazy horse can be chrome tanned or veg-tanned, it appears.  @AWORKOFMARC you need to determine that first.  Chrome-tanned does not shrink or warp  in boiling water - one of the ways to determine if a piece of leather is veg-tanned or chrome-tanned.  You could try on a small sliver of the leather. See here:

 

 

[NatesLeatherGds]

Well now! Answered. Great video. Thanks. 

[AWORKOFMARC]

Not working. Soaked in cold and soaked in heated water. Same outcome. NO stiffy. 

Plan B -- anyone know of an ultra thin plasticy material I can heat and mold into a sort of one side flattened oval and then place inbetween the outter Crazy Horse and an ultra thin goatskin liner?

 

UPDATE!!

Just tried the above water test. It's Chrome. Boo. Oh well.

But the GOOD NEWS -- I found this stuff. PERFECT Thermos form thing plasticy material I can shape and use as a form inbetween the leather out and inner line!

YIPPEE!  https://www.wonderflexworld.com

 

 

Edited January 31, 2024 by AWORKOFMARC

[Dwight]

42 minutes ago, AWORKOFMARC said:

Not working. Soaked in cold and soaked in heated water. Same outcome. NO stiffy.

Plan B -- anyone know of an ultra thin plasticy material I can heat and mold into a sort of one side flattened oval and then place inbetween the outter Crazy Horse and an ultra thin goatskin liner?

 

 

Kydex is the word there.  With a heat gun . . . you can virtually form it into almost any shape you want.

Give it a good sanding before forming it (whole lot easier while it is still flat) . . . and then you can contact cement your liner and your outer cover to it . . . holds good.

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited January 31, 2024 by Dwight

[AWORKOFMARC]

@Dwight 

Thanks for that. I just ordered some to try. That and this other stuff called Fosshape Black 400 by Wonderflex https://www.wonderflexworld.com/

I'm pretty sure the Kydex is going to be the best solution tho.. I'll report back with pics...